Furure Boranist. 7 
Sth November, 1895. 
The Rey. WILLIAM ANDSON in the chair. 
New Members.—Mrs Scott-Elliot and Miss M‘Cracken. 
COMMUNICATIONS. 
I.—The Work of the Future British Botanist. By Mr G. F. 
SCOTT-HkLiOm, BSc: B.S. 
The work of the British botanist of to-day labours under 
certain distinct disadvantages. There are so many books that he 
can very easily learn to name the commoner species, but he will 
very soon find that all those plants which are within an easy walk 
are discovered, and unless he turns to cryptogams, or attempts 
very long and distant excursions, there is nothing new for him to 
collect. Now there is a natural, perfectly legitimate, and most 
praiseworthy desire in every scientific spirit, to discover something 
new to add tothe store of human knowledge in his own particu- 
lar department, and leave it the richer for his existence. In the 
British botany of to-day this can only be done in such genera as 
Hieracium, Rosa, Rubus, and Salix, none of which can ever be 
thoroughly mastered by one human being. In such genera it is 
even possible in this country to discover (or, perhaps, more properly, 
invent) new species, as, in fact, has been done in Dumfriesshire. 
Such genera afford an infinite field for work. Bentham made some 
seven species of Hieracium, for instance, while the ninth edition of 
the London Catalogue contains 104, and this number may be in- 
creased to 400 in future editions. But as specialists in these four 
critical genera never agree, and only one can be supreme, there 
are only four future British botanists who can find an outlet for 
their energies in this direction, and these four must be magnificent 
pedestrians, with the whole of their time at their own disposal. 
Another field for the present British botanist is the recording 
of plants and a county Flora. It is possible to make new records 
anywhere (I have made a few myself), but to make a county Flora 
involves an enormous expenditure of time and great walking: 
power, even with a London Catalogue, which expands yearly, and 
produces new subjects to record. It is true there is still room for 
local Floras—I do not think the present number exceeds 15 out of 
the 100 and more counties for which they are required. Mr 
